Mold for casting stereotype printing plates



June 14, 1932. W. F. HUCK MOLD FOR CASTING STEREOTYPE PRINTING PLATES 5 sheets-sheer Filed NOV. 18, 1929 lNvI-:N-ron June 14, 1932.

vw. F. HUQK MOLD FOR CASTING STEREOTYPE PRINTING PLATES Filed'Nov. 15, 1929 3 Sheets-sheet 2 .lune 14, 1932. w. F. HUcK MOLD FOR CASTING STEREOTYPE PRINTING PLATES Filed Nov. 18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 LTU?.

Patented June 14, 1932 are.

Y WILLIAM F. H'U'GK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO R. HOE & CO., INC., 0F NEW YORK,

N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK Application mea November 1s, 192e. serial No. 407,952.

, turned to a horizontal position, so they may be opened and the matrix placed therein, in proper position, after which the mold 1s closed and turned to a vertical position for casting the plate.

The mold disclosed herein is supported on trunnions located approximately in line with its center of gravity when closed, but the center of gravity is shifted considerably when the mold is opened and in order to hold the mold in proper position while it is open, a locking mechanism is provided that can be released only when the mold is closed, and an additional locking mechanism also provided which prevents opening the mold when it 1s raised to the vertical position.

An objectV of the invention is to provide a device for casting stereotype plates, having means whereby the mold may be placed in a horizontal position for opening it to adjust the matrix, and after it is closed, readily moved forward and to a vertical position convenient for casting the plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking the mold in the horilzontal position when it is opened so that 1t cannot be moved from that position until it is closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. locking mechanism that operates to prevent opening the mold when it is in the vertical position.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a casting mold of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as wellas convenient, practical, serviceable and edicient in its use. j

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which willV appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of` construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without depart ing from the spirit of the invention.V

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the complete casting devi-ce except that certain portions of the side frame forming no part of the invention are broken away. In this view, the mold is shown in the horizontal position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showinga portion of the casting device with the mold tirned to the vertical position for castingra p ate;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the cover ofthe mold partly raised toward the open position;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the mold as viewed in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure l;

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the mold and a -portion of the frame as viewed on the line A-A of Figure 1 and in the direction of arrow 5; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the mold as viewed on the line B-B of Figure 1 in the direction of arrow 6.

Referring to the drawings, 11, and 11', indicate side frames which are adapted to support the mold, and which are held in proper spaced relation by cross members 12, 13 and 14. Y

The mold has a bottom member 15, and a cover member 16. Side bars 17 and 17 are secured to cross members 19 and 19 which pass through slots 21 and 21 formed in the bottom member l5, and thus form a support for the bottom member 15. Hand screws 22 are threaded into the cross members 19 and 19 and bear against sockets 23, formed in the bottom member of the mold, thus providing means for adjusting the bottom niember relative to thel cross members 19 and 19.

The side bars 17 and 17 are extended to form a support for the shaft 24, to which they are secured, and which passes through holes in lugs 25, formed on the cover member 16, thus providing a hinge connection between the cover member and the side bars. Studs 26, are secured to the side bars 17 and 17 and carry rollers 27, which are arranged to engage finished ways 28, on the side frames 11 and 11.

Guide ways 29, are formed in the side frames and are engaged by a shaft or guide follower 30, that is secured to arms 31, formed on the side bars 17 and 17 Cams 32, are secured to aA shaft 33, which turns in bearings formed in the cover member 16 and are adapted to engage studs 34, secured to the side bars. Anarm 35, is secured to the shaft 33 and provides a convenient means for locking and unlocking the cams. A spring 36, which engages a cam surface 37, on the handle 35, acts to hold the cams 32, in locked position.

An interlocking latch 38, is pivoted in a poppet 39, secured to the cover member 16, and arranged to engage a pin 41, secured to the shaft 33, as will be hereinafter explained.

Means for locking the mold in the position shown in Figure 1, are provided by hooks 42 and 43, which are pivoted on studs 44, secured to the side frames 11 and 11. The hook 43, is provided with a handle 45, for manual operation, while the hook 42, has a spring 46, secured to it that bears against the cross member 14, and thus biases the hook 42, to a position in which it engages a stud 47, secured to the side bar`17.

A stud 48, secured to a strap 49, fastened to the cover member 16, is arranged to engage the hook 42, and cause it to be disengaged from the stud 47, when the mold is closed as shown in Figure 1, but when the mold is open,

.the spring 46, on the hook 42, causes it to engage the stud 47, and prevents movement of the casting mold relatively to the frame.

Side gages 51, and a foot gage 52, form the sides and foot of the casting chamber. These gages may be of variable height, depending on the thickness of the plate that it is desired to cast. An adjustment to provide for this variable'thickness is provided by the screws 22.

A tube 53, is placed over the shaft 24, and forms a seat for a spring 54, one end of which is secured to the cover member 16, by the bolt 55, and the other of which is secured to the bottom member 15, by means of a stud 56 and the nut 57. Y

Handles 58, provide means for raising and lowering the cover and moving the com.- plete mold, when the two members are locked together,

In operation, the cover of the mold is raised to the position indicated at 59, in Figure 3, for adjusting the matrix and the side gages in proper position.

It will be noted that hook 42, then engages the stud 47, and prevents movement of the bottom of the mold.

The mold is then closed and the handle 35, operated to lock the cover and bottom together. This action brings the stud 48, into engagement with the hook 42, which is thereby released from the stud 47. The handle 45, can then be operated to release the hook 43 from the stud 47 and the mold may then be moved along the ways to the position shown in Figure 2. While the rollers are moving along the ways, the follower 30, will move downward in the guide way 29, and effect a turning movement of the mold.

The studs 26, that carry the rollers 27, act as pivots on which the mold swings and are so placed that their aXis passes as near as possible through its center of gravity. Thus it will befunderstood that moving the mold from the horizontal to the vertical position and along the level ways, requires relatively little effort.

When the mold is in the vertical position for casting the plate, it will be noted that the interlocking latch 39,v engages the stud 41, and prevents release of the locking cams 32.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that a mold has been provided in which the matrix can be adjusted in a convenient manner, the mold' closed, locked and moved to the casting position with minimum effort, and thereafter returned to the original position for removing the cast plate. It is so arranged that the mold may be moved close to themelting furnace, in a convenient casting position, while theadjustment of the matrix and the removal of the plate are performed at a more suitable location farther away from the furnace. The weight of the cover is counteracted by the tension of a spring, making it easy'to open and close the mold, and interlocking mechanism has been provided making it impossible to open the mold when it is in the casting position or to move the mold away from the horizontal position unless it is closed and locked.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for casting stereotype printing plates, a mold having a bottom member, a cover member hinged thereto, a locking mechanism to lock the cover and bottom together, means to swing the mold to a vertical position and to a horizontal position and a mechanism arranged to prevent moving the mold from the horizontal position except when it is closed.

2. In a device for casting stereotype printing plates, a mold having a bottom member, a cover member hinged thereto, a locking mechanism adapted to lock the cover to the bottom, and means whereby the mold may be moved forward from a horizontal position and simultaneously turned to a vertical position; said means comprising rollers supporting the mold on an axis that passes near its center of gravity, a frame having ways on which the rollers may runa guide in the frame and a follower engaging the guide and secured to the mold.

y ber that may be fastened together, trunnions supporting the mold, means on the ways to support the trunnions, and a follower in fixed relation to said means, whereby the mold is turned from a horizontal position to a verti cal position as the said means are moved along the ways. n

4. In a device for castingstereotype printingplates, a frame having horizontal ways and a vertical guide below o-ne of the Ways, a` mold including' a bottom member and a cover member that may be fastened together, trunnions arranged to permit swinging the mold approximately on its center of gravity, rollers on the trunnions, bearing on the ways, and a follower engaging the guide in Xed relation to the rollers; said rollers, followers, ways and guide being arranged to turn the mold from a horizontal position to a vertical position as it is moved along the ways.

5. In a device for casting' stereotype printing plates, a. mold having` a bottom member and a cover member, a support to which the cover member and bottom member are secured, a frame having horizontal ways and a vertical guide, rollers rotatably secured to the support and adapted to run on the ways, and a follower co-acting with the guide to turn the mold when it is moved along the ways.

6. In a device for casting` stereotype printing plates, a mold having a bottom member and a cover member that may be locked together, a frame having ways on which the mold may be moved to turn it from a horizontal to a. vertical position, means operable to lock and unlock the mold when it is in the horizontal position, and means to prevent unlocking the mold when it is inthe vertical position.

7. In a device for casting stereotype printing; plates, a mold having a bottom member and a cover member that may be locked together, a. support to which the cover member is hinged and the bottom member is secured, a frame having ways on which the support may be moved to turn the mold from a horizontal to a. vertical position, means operable to lock and unlock the mold when it is in the horizontal position, and means to prevent unlocking the mold when it is in the vertical position.

8. In a device for casting stereotype printing plates, a mold having` a bottom member and a cover member, a. support to which the cover member is hinged and the bottom member is secured, a frame having,- ways on which the support maybe moved to turn the mold from the horizontal position to av vertical position, and means on the frame and cooperating means on the support to lock the support to the frame when the mold is moved to the horizontal position and then opened.

In testimony whereof, I ahX my signature.

,WILLIAM F. HUCK. 

